Ralph Kent

In 1965, Ralph designed the first limited-edition Mickey Mouse watch for adults, which Walt presented to 25 of his top executives. A timely invention, word quickly spread about the unique Mickey Mouse time piece and today, more than 100 adult watch designs are manufactured each year.

Mel Shaw

In 1937, Mel arrived at Disney, contributing to Fantasia (1940), Bambi (1941), and The Wind in the Willows, which later became a segment in The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949).

Ilene Woods

Walt once admitted to Ilene she was his favorite of the Disney heroines. She recalled, “Once I went into his office and he said to me, ‘You’re my favorite heroine, you know.’ I said, ‘You mean Cinderella?’ ‘Yes,’ he said, ‘there’s something about that story I associate with.’

Jodi Benson

“I was talking to some third graders… A little boy raised his hand and asked, ‘How do you hold your breath that long under water?’ You see, the magic is what they want to hold onto—and that brings me tremendous joy.” —Jodi Benson

Floyd Gottfredson

“Of the early Disney employees I met, Floyd was probably the greatest gentleman of them all.”—Disney Chief Archivist Emeritus Dave Smith.

Tutti Camarata

At Disney, Tutti supervised recordings of more than 300 Disneyland Records albums, including those featuring Disney stars such as Mouseketeer Annette Funicello, for whom he developed the distinctive “Annette” sound.

Orlando Ferrante

From Walt Disney World to Disneyland Paris, Orlando’s keen administrative and planning skills, his “can do” attitude, and his humble and fun-loving heart served him well when orchestrating the combined efforts of inspirational artists, engineers, production, and installation teams creating Disney theme parks.

Harrison Price

Buzz went on to join the Stanford Research Institute, where he was contracted by Walt and Roy O. Disney to determine the economic feasibility of and the best location for a new project, Disneyland.

Edna Disney

A spirited woman, with an understanding heart and a ready opinion to share, Edna provided enthusiastic support and sound counsel to her business-genius husband as he helped grow his brother’s creative venture from a humble storefront in Hollywood to an entertainment empire that spans the globe.

Richard Fleischer

We decided to stage the attack at night, during a storm at sea, so we had spray and wave and great excitement, while obscuring the action.”—Richard Fleischer, about the dramatic squid attack scene in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea